“I was in shock,” Weddle said Friday of being named Chargers MVP for the first time in his career.

Weddle was joined by Corey Liuget (defensive player of the year), Malcom Floyd (offensive player of the year), Nick Hardwick (lineman of the year), Mike Scifres (specials teams player of the year) and Takeo Spikes (most inspirational player).

Though he has four fewer interceptions than last year, Weddle rated his performance this season as "much better." And because Chargers players cast the votes, the MVP award pleased him more than his Pro Bowl selection in 2011.

“It’s your teammates, it’s your family, your guys you fight for and deal with on a daily basis, so to be honored like that is pretty special,” the safety said. “You’d never expect for something like that, so for it to happen, it’s an amazing accomplishment, for sure.”

Liuget and Floyd were first-time winners of a Chargers award, while Spikes and Scifres picked up their second plaques. Harwick was named the top lineman last year and was a co-winner for inspirational honors in 2010.

Fast finish

Liuget has five sacks in his last five games, raising his season total to seven, which is six more than his total last year as a rookie. The end leads the line in sacks, tackles (57) and tackles for loss (13), and with nine passes defensed, he’s second among NFL linemen to Houston’s J.J Watt’s 15.

Floyd, who set a personal record with 14 starts before going on injured reserve, is the team’s leader in catches (56) and receiving yards (814). Teammates may have weighed his career achievements, too, as his yards per catch (14.5) is its lowest in four years and his touchdown total (5) is one short of receiver Danario Alexander’s.

Selecting an offensive star couldn't have been easy.

Scifres has averaged 48.2 yards per punt, well ahead of the team mark of 46.7 that he set in 2010. He also won in 2004.

Praised often by Turner for orchestrating his fellow blockers, Hardwick was joined by right guard Louis Vasquez as the only offensive linemen to make all 15 starts. It’d be 50 starts in a row for the center if he goes Sunday, as expected.

Spikes has won both inspirational awards since joining the Chargers in 2011.

Pagano and Weddle

When Weddle cradled the MVP plaque, which he described as thick and heavy, John Pagano’s scheming again paid off.

The first-year defensive coordinator, Weddle said, was wise to line him up close to the line of scrimmage, which the safety did far more than he had in 2011.

Weddle is a sure tackler, and because he’d made an NFL-high seven interceptions last year, quarterbacks were less likely to test him this year, so advancing him kept him in a playmaking role.

With Weddle providing steady support as a weakside run blitzer, the Chargers consistently smashed the run. Their run defense is among the top-8 in several categories, and with four more tackles on Sunday, Weddle would have his highest season total since 2008.